Clothes prop



H. G. KNOTH Aug. 4, 1931.

CLOTHES PROP Inv Illlrl. .Ilnllff Filed Feb. 7. 1927 al A TTOR i Patented Aug. 4, 1931 UNITED STATES HILARY e. KNOTH, or nn'rnorr, MICHIGAN' CLOTHES rnor Application filed February 7, i927. seriai-Nd. 1e6,e21,

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a clothes prop, and has for its Aobject the provision of a clothes prop having telescoping partsV so arranged that the prop may be adjusted to various lengths, and easily and quickly clamped in its various positions of adjustment.

Another object of the invention isthe provision in a clothes prop of this class of an abutment member for limiting inward movement of one of said tubes relatively to the other, and retaining the tubes wheny in fully telescoped position in such a position that a pinching of the operators hands may be prevented.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a clothes prop of this class which may be economic of manufacture and durable and highly eiiicient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by a reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which, f 'f Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the invention with a part brokenaway.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the invention with a part broken away and a part shown in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. ,l

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The invention comprises an outer tubey 7 which is reduced in diameter at its upper end 8 and provided with the axially extending 4o split 9. Telescoping with the tube 8 is a tube 10 which is of such diameter as to form a fairly snug fit in the reduced portion 8 of the outer tube. Theinner end of the tube 10 is provided with a flared abutment por- 45 tion 11 which, engaging the reduced portion 8, limits outward movement of the tube 1() relatively to the tube 7. YMounted on the upper end of the tube 1() is a yoke 12 which serves to engage a clothes line or other obi0 ject. Pressed into the lower end .of the tube1 8 is a pointed base 13 having the sleeve portion 14 engaging inthel tube 8. l When' these tubes are fully telescoped,the basell of the inner tube 1() vwill engage the edge ofthe sleeve 14, and thus limit the inward movement of the tube 10. It will be noted from the drawings that the yoke 12 is p0sitioned considerably above the upper end of" the tube 7 when these tubes are fully telescoped, this yoke 12 being provided withla bead 15. This arrangement is had so that,

should the operator have the hand on theV upper edge of the reduced portion 8' ofthe outer tube and release the inner tube 10, permitting it to move inwardly of the tube 8' by gravity, a pinching or injuring of the hand will be obviated on account of the engagement of the base 11 with the sleeve 14. Tol

provide a clamping means so that the reduced portion 8 may bei clamped against the inner tube 10 and thus retain the tubes in various positions of relative adjustment, I have provided a strap of metal 16 which embraces the reduced portion 8, and has itsends 17 and 18 turned outwardly and spaced apart. The strap 16. is preferably spot welded to the ree duced portion 8,'but may be secured. thereto in any desirable- Dianner. Y 1 I The upper and lower edges of the end 17 are turned angularly outwardly to provide ears 19and- 20, and similarly, the upper andy lower edges of the end 18 are turned angu# larly outwardly toprovide ears 21 and 22.

VProjected through these ends is a threadedy vrod 23 upon which'is fixedly mounted a circular collar 24;, this circular collar being engaged bythe ears 21 and 22, these ears there,-

fore serving as a guide when the rod 23 isA` rotated by the angularly turned handle forming portion 25. A nut 26 is threaded on the end of the rod 23, this nut also being engaged by the ears 20 and 19, these ears therefore serving to prevent a'rotation of the nut, so that when the rod 23 is turned by means of the handle 25, a threading of the rod 23 on the nut 26 will be efected.l By threading the nut 26 on to thev rod 23, the outwardly turned f ends 17 and 18V approach each other, thus springing the split end of the portion 8 inf wardly so as to securely clamp the tube 10.

I have found from experience that the use of such'a clamping method is most eiective, and that a very slight movement of the rod 23, when the nut 26 is held stationary, will effect the desired clamping or release of the tube 10, so that the operator, and particularly when the device is operated by a Woman, will have very little diiiiculty in effecting the desired adjustments and clamping the tubes in their various positions of adjustment. By having the ears 22 and 2l in engagement with the collar 24 a binding of the rod 23 is prevented, as these ears serve, when co-operating with the collar 24, to afford a bearing or guide, so that the ends 17 and 18 will remain in alignment with each other at all times, and the nut 26 be easily and quickly threaded on or off.

WhileI have illustrated and described the preferred form of my` invention I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details of structure shown, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modications as may come within the scope of the appended claim.r

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An adjustable clothes prop of the class described comprising a pair of telescoping tubes, the inner tube having on its lower end an enlargement; a line engaging member mounted on the upper end of said inner tube and provided with a portion projecting out- Wardly beyond the periphery of said inner tube; an engagement member mounted inwardly of the outer tube adjacent the lower end thereof, said enlarged portion on said lower end of said inner tube engaging said engagement member upon telescoping of said tubes and retaining said outwardly projecting portion of said line engaging member in spaced relation to the upper end of said outer tube said inner tube upon said engagement, extending inwardlyof said outer tube substantially throughout its entire length.

In testimony whereof I have signed the foregoing specification.

HILARY G. KNOTH. 

